Memorandum-tablet



A. MARKS. MEMORANDUM TABLET.

(No Model.)

No. 510,810... Patented Dec. 12, 1893.

FIG. I.

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u: mmnmu. Lmwannmma cuMPAmI UNITED STATES ALFRED MARKS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

M EM ORAN D U M -TAB LET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,810, dated December 12, 1893.

Application filed July 12, 1893 Serial No. 480,284:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED MARKS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Memorandum-Tablets; and I do hereby declare thefol:

ject to provide a simple and convenient de-' vice whereby messages which may be received or sent can be quickly written, and also to provide a convenient directory of business houses, their addresses and telephone numhere.

With this object in View, my invention consists in a case adapted to be screwed to the wall or other suitable place near a telephone, and containing a hinged writing board adapted to swing outward and form a writing desk.

It also consists in a receptacle for containing spring actuated sliding telephone and business directory cards.

It further consists in certain details of construction, as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1, is aperspective view from below, of the case closed and locked with one of the directory cards drawn down. Fig. 2, is a front elevation. Fig. 3, is a vertical section of the device, with the Writing.

board in position. Fig. 4, is a horizontal section on line 00-00 of Fig. 2.

The box or case A, which may be open at the back is secured to a strip B, which is fastened to the wall or other place near a telephone. The front of the case is provided with a door 0, which is provided with a swinging hasp D, the slot of which passes over a staple E, secured to the side of the case A.

Secured near the top of the case, on the same side with the staple E, is a string F, to the free end of which a pencil is attached. When the case is closed, the hasp D,is passed over the staple E, and the pencil dropped through the staple outside of the hasp, thus securing the door from swinging open by accident.

The case is provided with a partition G, which divides the case into two compartments, a and a. Within the front compartment Ct, at the top thereof, is hinged the writing board H, which when not in use, lies within the upper compartment and against the partition G. A brace h, is hinged to the lower end of the hinged writing board H, on its rear face, and secured to the front lower edge of the hinged board is a flexible pull or tab h.

A writing tablet consisting of detachable sheets of paper is secured to the front face of the hinged board. The front compartmentis deep enough to completely house the hinged board with the tablet on its front face and the brace h, folded against its rear face.

The ledge I, at the bottom of the case forms a rest for the brace when it drops down to hold the hinged writing board in an oblique position. The rear compartment a of the case is provided with grooves or guides J, in the inner faces of the sides of the case, and in these grooves or guides slide the directory cards K. There may be as many grooves or guides as desired. For instance, there may be a groove or guide and corresponding card for each letter of the alphabet; but it will generally only be necessary to have a few cards, and assign several letters of the alphabet to each card. Each card K, is secured to the upper part of the case by a flexible spring connection k, which enables the card to be pulled down as far as desired, and when released, will return to its proper place.

To the lower end of each card is secured a strip h, of leather, cloth or other suitable material, and on each strip are printed such letters of the alphabet as begin the names of the persons or firms contained on that card. These cards maybe of paste board, celluloid, or any suitable substance, and contain the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of different persons or firms. The strips k serve the double purpose of an index tab,'and a pull for withdrawing the cards from the case.

When it is desired to use this device, to receive a message, all that is necessary is to pull the pencil out of the staple, throw off the hasp, open the door, and pull outwardly the tab it, at the lower end of the hinged writing board when the brace h, will drop of its own weight, and rest 011 the ledge I, and form a brace for the writing board in its inclined position, thus forming a desk upon which to write. The message is then written with the pencil which also serves as a lock for the cover; torn ofi the tablet and sent to its destination.

When a person wishes to use the telephone and does not know the call number of the one he wishes to converse with, he pulls down the proper card and finds the telephone number thereon in the right hand column, the name and business being the center and the address at the left. It is obvious that when the tablet J, becomes exhausted, a new one may be secured to the hinged writing board in any suitable manner.

The partition G, while desirable, is not necessary, and may be dispensed with, and the compartment a, instead of being at the rear of the case, may be placed along side of compartment a.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A memorandum tablet consisting of a case divided into a front and rear compartment by a partition, the front compartment containing a writing board carrying a paper tablet, and hinged atits upper edge tothe case, and having at its lower end a tab and a hinged brace, adapted to drop and rest on a ledge formed by the bottom of the case, and the rear compartment containing sliding spring directory cards, substantially as shown and described.

2. A memorandum tablet adapted to be secured to a wall or other object, consisting of a case having a front cover, and divided into front and rear compartments, the front compartment containing a writing board carrying a paper tablet, and hinged at its upper end to the case, and provided at its bottom edge with a pull tap, and a hinged brace adapted to fold up against its rear face when it is not in use, and drop and rest on a ledge when said writing board is pulled out at its lower end, the rear compartment containing sliding directory cards secured at one end to the case by flexible springs, and adapted to slide in or on grooves or guides in the sides of said rear compartment, and having at their lower ends strips which are adapted to serve as pull tabs, and also as index tabs, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED MARKS.

Witnesses:

C. W. IIINTON, CHAS. D. WHEAT. 

